Once again, negotiations between the Federal Government and the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) on the new minimum wage has been rescheduled for September 16.

Government and the JNPSNC were initially billed to meet on September 4th, but the meeting was suspended. Mr Alade Lawal, JNPSNC Secretary-General said the meeting was rescheduled at the instance of the officials.

The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress have been in conflict over the implementation of the new minimum wage which was signed into law by President Buhari on April 18. Negotiation between the government and the JNPSNC, representing labour in the technical committee set up to negotiate the consequential adjustment of workers’ salaries as a result of the new minimum wage, had broken down due to unresolved differences in their proposals.

While the Federal Government proposed 9.5 per cent salary increase for employees on grade levels 07 to 14 and five per cent for those on grade levels 15 to 17, labour is demanding 30 per cent increase for officers on grade levels 07 to 14 and 25 per cent increase for grade levels 15 to 17.

President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, had told journalists that the congress would support any position taken by the JNPSNC on the new national minimum wage.